This vegan Slow Cooker Bean Soup with Sweet Potato is such an comforting and easy meal. Just throw everything in the crockpot and walk away!
When you just don't feel like cooking, this easy Slow Cooker Bean Soup (Vegan) is a life saver! Rich in flavor from Italian seasoning, sweet potatoes, onion and garlic. And packed with all sorts of nutrients from the veggies, whole grains and beans. It's a powerhouse meal!
I first started cooking this recipe around the holidays. There are certain times of the year that I can barely drag myself to the kitchen to make a regular meal.
If I make a big Thanksgiving feast, another one at Christmas and throw some appetizers on the table for New Year’s Eve, I should be let off the meal prep hook for the rest of the holiday season, right? That should #2 in the family cook union rules, right after “He or she who cooks the meals shall forevermore be released from dish duty.”
When I'm low on energy or am all "cooked out", I turn to every 30-minute meal , slow cooker and Instant Pot recipe in my arsenal. I will hazard a guess and say that the crockpot was first invented by someone who had just cooked several holiday meals and was tasked with whipping up a healthy family dinner. I will be forever grateful.
How to make slow cooker bean soup:
This is one of those recipes that I can practically make in my sleep because it’s so easy. Well, not really. Please don’t try that at home!
I like to saute the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes before adding them to the crockpot. However, you can certainly just throw them straight in if you’re short on time or energy.
My 6-quart slow cooker does the trick for this recipe. I don’t suggest using anything smaller. This recipe makes a substantial amount of soup, about 12 cups, so you’ll need the room.
Transfer the onions and garlic to the slow cooker. Then throw in most of the other ingredients. Kidney beans, cubed sweet potato, dry quinoa, a can of petite diced tomatoes, seasoning and broth.
Cook the soup on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Every crockpot is a little different, so times may need to be adjusted slightly.
When is the soup done? When the sweet potato is tender!
Finishing touches…stir in the fresh spinach leaves, parsley and hot sauce. Adjust the seasonings to your liking and serve it up!
What if I want a thinner soup?
If you prefer a broth-ier soup, stir in some additional vegetable broth shortly before heating. The quinoa absorbs a lot of liquid, so will turn your soup into a stew the longer it sits.
Either way, it’s perfect for dunking in a chunk of crusty bread!
Can I use a different type of bean?
Absolutely! If you’re not a fan of kidney beans or don’t have them on hand, feel free to make a substitution. Canned chickpeas or cannellini (Great Northern) beans are both good options.
What to serve with slow cooker bean soup:
This soup has it all – healthy protein, whole grain and vegetables - so don’t feel that you have to make a separate side dish. But if you do, let’s chat about a few ideas.
Sometimes I take the easy route and serve this soup with a nice crusty loaf of bread. However, since this soup is pretty carb-a-licious already (healthy carbs!), I steer more towards veggie sides.
Some good options are:
- Warm Kale Salad with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms
- Chopped Kale Salad with Grapes & Feta Cheese
- Broccoli Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
- Cantaloupe Goat Cheese Salad with Lime Mint Dressing
Should I use canned or dried beans?
While dried beans are always a great option, I chose to use canned red kidney beans for this slow cooker bean soup.
They’re economical, easy to store and require just a quick rinse before being incorporated into a recipe. Red kidney beans do a great job of absorbing the seasonings in the dish, making them a go-to ingredient for soups and chili.
That being said, I’m sure that dried beans would work, with some adjustment in cooking time and possibly some pre-soaking. I haven’t tested this recipe using dried beans, so can’t offer specifics.
Other slow cooker pulse recipes:
Slow Cooker Chipotle Lentil Soup {Cookin' Canuck}
Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry {Cookin' Canuck}
Slow Cooker Kielbasa & White Bean Soup {Kalyn's Kitchen}
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham {Simple Bites}
Slow Cooker Bean Soup Recipe with Quinoa & Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 14 ounce cans red kidney beans drained & rinsed
- 1 pound sweet potato peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 14 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper or more to taste
- 6 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups spinach leaves
- ¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
- hot sauce to taste (I used about 2 tablespoons of (my favorite)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Transfer the onion mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the kidney beans, sweet potato, quinoa, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Stir in the vegetable broth.
- Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or until the sweet potato is tender.
- Stir in the spinach, parsley and hot sauce. Adjust seasonings to desired taste. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published on November 21, 2016 and was updated on September 21, 2020.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Dane
We were looking for something to prepare in the crockpot to eat after we got home from apple picking. This soup was it and everyone came back for second helpings.